Not a nebuliser but a humidifier, hose and full mask for sleep apnoea; my cleaning regime is daily clean with washing up liquid and weekly deep clean by soaking in warm water and dissolved Sterident tablets which have no effect (as far as I am aware) on the thin silicone parts of the mask, hard plastic and metal of the humidifier but does ensure that the "kit" is all completely germ free!

Hi Jeff, I have been using a nebuliser on and off since I became colonised with pseudomonas in 1986. I rinse the pot etc with hot water after every use and boil it for ten minutes with a spot of washing up liquid once each week. I also keep the machine running after I have detached the pot to make sure that there are no droplets left in the tube. I have never become colonised with any other bugs or aspergilla fungus. I hope that helps.

Have you never been able to remove the Pseudomonas even for short periods of time? And what added difficulty has it caused you? I was taken into Hospital at Xmas with suspected pneumonia which was misdiagnosis but came out after 3 days with Pseudomonas. Recent sputum test showed it had left me but now consultant wants more tests because he says it can return. Any input would be gratefully received.

Hi hallentine. Now pseudomonas is a funny thing. Once it is in there it is difficult and probably impossible to eradicate it completely. Sometimes antibiotic treatment can reduce the numbers to such an extent that they do not show up in a lab test. However, lab tests are notoriously unreliable because they cannot find very small numbers of an organism so eventually the little beggars start having a party and the numbers go up. The object of permanent nebulised antibiotic is to keep the numbers as low as possible. You know that they are getting out of control when there is more sputum, thicker, the colour changes and you feel generally grotty. Then in my opinion is the time to get 'aggressive' antibiotic treatment. I reckon that I live with low levels of pseudo all of the time. I nebulise ceftazidime to try to keep the numbers down and really work at getting rid of the considerable amounts of fluid that my lungs produce and have always produced every day. As long as I control it like this I lead a very full life.

Different doctors take different approaches to it. I have now been offered IV three times a year as a prophylactic measure ( a cf treatment) but am currently refusing this as I would rather keep that form of treatment for times when I feel ill with it. Some bronchs on here have that kind of treatment. We are all different and it depends on what suits best.

The up side for me is that the presence of pdeudo seems to have kept out haemophyllus which was a bug which really made me feel poorly. That has probably raised more questions than it has answered.

Hi Jeff, good post . And as you say you could do with getting out it does the moral good. Are you well enough to go out, or do your carers duties restrict trips out ? Just wondered as there are groups who can help out there who do not cost the earth. Age UK have a lot of befreinding groups including ones for dementia sufferers and carers but depends where you live, worth enquiring.Many Churches do social groups without you being a church goer these days too.

Understand Jeff , it is sometimes difficult to fit round caring especially if your not well yourself. Is there anything else they can do for your pain? or is it like me have to put up with it and the treatments you get . Wish you a good day and your father.

Know the feeling, give me tablets for blood pressure then end up with gout from the raised uric acid levels.I already wear shoe inner soles and take painkillers they do help as do wearing trainers but do not illiminate the pain. And as for getting workmen to do jobs that you are not able it is a costly nightmare even Age UKs trusted trader system is unable to help, these days.

As it happens have just started with milton this week. On prophylactic colomycin but have had proteus infection for several months and when reading about that one of the causes was given as contaminated nebuliser. Now waiting on test results after 3rd course of amoxcillin, don't think the 2 week gap between courses helps though.

I use hot water and Fairy (as one of my Respiratory nurses said. I have got Milton but not used it yet !! 🙄 By the way if you are brave enough you can use your own Weewee 😳😷😷 and needless to say I have not tried that one ?? Keep well. xx

Just got a nebuliser and been looking on here for info about it. I was told by Hospital to wash in warm soapy water and rinse in clean water after every use, and air dry. They said I could either use Milton or boil up in a saucepan once a week. If boiling, keep it boiling for 5 minutes. So will try the boiling first